The Cruelty of April
by Aiko-akita
Summary: Bunnymund and the girl of April Fools' Day have a rough and tumble past but no one thought April would kidnap him Alone and hidden out of sight from even the Man in the Moon, can anyone save The Easter Bunny from April? What does she plan to do with him?
1. Captured

It was chaos. Spikes of ice flew at a vanishing target as the Guardians felt themselves thrown into utter panic. Sandman threw out his whips only to have them come back empty and the Tooth Fairy came crashing out of the air from the force another body flying into her. North and Bunnymund were unsure of where the enemy even was. The five had been fighting fruitlessly, each one using all of their speed and strength, but the chaos continued with falling lampposts and pain unleashed bit by bit onto each one of them from someone that they couldn't even see. Such an agile enemy, but unlike Pitch, she would not reveal herself.

"What does she want?" Jack hissed before coughing into his jacket sleeve, stumbling back as he cast another spike from his staff at the smoking night sky. Frost felt his earlier fears becoming a nightmare- this wasn't supposed to happen. North had said it wouldn't happen….

"I told you!" Bunnymund growled. "It's the worst holiday of the year! She's a crazy- gah!" The enemy had appeared in front of the Bunny, frozen mid-run as she swiped a blade across his left hip, cutting the flesh back easily. She even did so with a smile on her face, wide and delirious grey eyes staring up at the Easter Bunny before she disappeared into swirling ash once more.

"Curse it!" North hissed, slashing his blades at nothing (or at least not anything anymore) in fury. "Her holiday is over- these tricks are dangerous! She's going to-… Move!" North barreled out of the way of a car flying towards the group. The childish laugher of a young girl filled the air alongside the frustration and smoke. In the scatter the Guardians were separated, Tooth Fairy and Jack fleeing to one end on the block with Sandman and North on the other.

"Tooth Fairy, where's Bunny?" Jack turned to his hummingbird-like friend as she tried to catch her breath and wipe away the blood from a small cut on her forehead. She looked at him and shook her head quickly, shock and worry filling her bubblegum eyes as she turned back to look at the car, now blocking the entrance to a splintering alleyway in the middle of the block. The four of them looked at each other from across the block.

_"Here, Bunny Bunny!"_ The innocent sounding voice rang in the night air.

"Oh no," North whispered, looking at the car.

Bunnymund tightened his grip around the boomerangs in his fists, glancing around with ears swiveling, trying to fight the disquiet in his stomach. Smoke burned his eyes and nose as the feeling of foreboding in his core roiled and made him want to puke. He never liked being cornered. The car had blocked him into the splinter alleyway- not that it wasn't something he couldn't hop over, and yet his feet were glued. "Move!" He hissed to himself, but the thought of crossing The Jester of April Fools' day paralyzed him with fear.

_"Scared of me, Bunny?"_ her breathe against his ear sent him spinning to face her, or rather the empty space where she had stood. The stretching shadow of a jester costume against the wall was the last thing he saw that day.

_Earlier that day_

Jack and Bunnymund sat on a cliff above a snow-filled valley, playing with Bunnymund's boomerangs.

"April First," the Australian rabbit sighed, "My least favorite day of the year."

"I thought that was Christmas," Jack grinned playfully.

"It's close," the rabbit half-smiled. A tense silence snatched a moment to form as Bunnymund's smile disappeared and the mood began to sour.

"Calm down Thumper," Jack smiled, sensing the looming consternation and trying to push against it. He watched as his friend did not return his sense of humor, only stared solemnly at the frozen plants beneath the jutting rock.

"Have you met April?" Bunny asked suddenly.

"What do you mean have I met her?" Jack was confused by the question. How could one meet a holiday?

"All holidays have personas mate," Bunnymund answered, taking on a sort of grave tone. "some elements and seasons, too. The persona of April Fools' day is known as The Jester, or April. If you'd met her, I'm sure you'd understand why I hate April First..." There was a pause as Jack considered where the conversation was headed when his curiosity took over.

"What makes her so terrible?" He asked. Bunnymund's jaw shifted as it he ground his teeth.

"It was April First of seventeen eighty seven and still a cold winter in the North. I was outside of my home area- The Warren- when I saw a small child of about eight walking alone. Behind him I saw April, grinnin' ear to ear… but… somethin' about her smile wasn't right. I watched as she sprang up into the trees and cracked an entire bow from the tree that came crashing down onto the child. He was crushed beneath, screamin' and pleadin' for help… Blood was pooling under him and I ran out. I looked up into the trees to bring her to justice but she was just… looking down at me with these bloodshot grey eyes and a grin of complete illness. Her beautiful face was so… so _wrong._ She said 'April Fools, Bunny,' to me before disappearing. I got the bough off the kid and tried my best to help him but… it was no use. He died in my arms." Bunnymund looked down and paused as Jack tried to comprehend what his friend had said. Holidays killed children? Jack always thought of April Fools' day as a day to play jokes that gesture love or tease individuals with playful joy. He tried to interject, unable to comprehend the thought that a timeless holiday persona of any sort would kill a child, or would retain the… the _humanistic weakness_… to mentally deteriorate. "Every April first," the rabbit continued, "the only thing I can ever see is her grinning down at me from the trees… and all I can think is… 'Why did she do that?'" There was a pause as the two stared out into the eerie cold and Jack debated how to handle his friend's story.

"Wow," Jack answered, trying to break the tension unsuccessfully. His friend smiled grimly, the kind of smile that you do because the only other option would be to break.

"Yeah," Bunny answered. "I'll see ya later mate…" Jack did not object, only nodded, as his friend stood, thumped once, and disappeared into the ground.

. . .

An hour of curiosity drove Jack to use one of the snow globes North gave him to go to the North Pole. He leaned now against the wood of North's office.

"Jack Frost," North chuckled, "Good to see your face again. Why are you here, friend?"

There was no hesitation in his response.

"Bunnymund told me something interesting about April Fools' day."

"Did he now?" North answered. Jack gauged his body language and watched as North tensed and met his gaze with deliberation.

"So they have a history?" Jack narrowed his eyes.

"A history? Ha!" North answered, bringing his fists down upon his work table. He shook his head, a glimmer of anger surfacing in his downcast eyes. His voice became dark with many generations past of trying to bury the memory. "Bunny and The Jester used to be the best of companions. When Bunnymund first became a guardian in the sixteen hundreds. The Jester, April, strung Bunny's Warren with paper fish."

"Paper Fish?"

"She loves paper fish. She had painted each one like a beautiful Easter egg… The Jester was really the first holiday to invest a lot of time with Bunny once he became a guardian. But she always liked tricks and as time went on she began to play some really mean ones, on Bunny most of all. One day when he tried to reprimand her, she left him. Bunny was devastated, and then a few years later, April killed a child right before his eyes .It was unforgivable to him- to all of us."

"What was done about this?" Jack growled.

"She hasn't been seen since. April is the craftiest of any holiday, and nothing like Pitch- after earning our hatred she never would've risked coming into our sight or making herself known… But anyway, that's the story of the Bunny and The Jester." Silence became uncomfortable as Jack pondered and North forgot where he was, lost in the memories of the past. It was some time before he came to again and laughed just enough to get Jack's attention. "I know that seeing Bunnymund upset worries you- he's never himself on April first. But don't worry Frost- no one has seen The Jester in over a hundred years, and she's a woman of cowardice. You won't see her bothering anyone today."

**NOTE:** If you did not understand the Paper Fish thing, Paper Fish are a really common thing in Europe on April Fools' day, or they used to be in the 18 and 1900s.


	2. Isolated

_**And so we are brought back to the present.**_

_Bunnymund scampered quickly through The Warren, leaping high to the tunnels that lead to the outside. He ducked inside one of the dark passageways just in time, chuckling to himself as he pressed against a wall._

_"Ready or not, here I come!" A velvet voice rang out. A young woman ran into his view, stopping short to look around with bright grey eyes full of wonder and joy. She was lithe, with a firm body of acrobatic muscle under pale porcelain skin. Dark red hair hung in a braid down to her waist. Bunnymund smiled at her radiant beauty and the glow of curiosity and excitement on her skin as he backed a little more into his hiding spot. She began to creep closer to the cliff, eyes staying level with the ground and not considering the tunnels above her._

_"Just a little closer," Bunnymund whispered. When she unknowingly obeyed, he pounced, catching her in his arms and tumbling. The two rolled down the soft green hills of The Warren. Bunny tried to keep his grip on her but dropped off into a river of egg dye and came up empty. He looked to his left and right but heard her giggle above him and looked up. There she was, perched on a tree branch and smiling down upon him with unveiled affection. "You little cheateh'," he grinned, "No teleportin' in Hide N seek!"_

_"But it was after you caught me," she purred. "That doesn't count! Besides, you're the one who cheated. We agreed no tunnels, remember?"_

_"Yeah yeah, Good onya, little Larikin," He climbed out._

_"What's a larikin again?" She tilted her head. "Your Australian slang gets confusing."_

_"A pranking bloke."_

_"I'm no bloke," She answered, lifting her chin. "I'm a lady."_

_"Sure are," he laughed, looking up at her and running a hand over the top of his head. "A real lovely one at that…" For a moment they simply regarded each other in affection when a terrible screaming began. Bunnymund looked frantically around, but the girl simply sat smiling at him still. His Warren began to tremble. The screaming did not stop for breath, only continued in a constant crescendo until Bunnymund's home began to crumble. It grew and grew, shaking everything to pieces, tearing the walls of his frail dream until nothing was left but blackness._

The screaming did not stop as Bunnymund began to part his eyelids. He wondered what in the world it was coming from as he opened his eyes, but his vision was so blurry that he could only see color- purple and yellow in the center of his vision, surrounded by grey and black.

"Where am I?" His voice sounded like the croak of a toad and he coughed at the dryness of his throat. He was vaguely able to grasp after a moment that the screaming was occurring within his own head, not being produce outside. The pain began to throb with the screams…

"Beneath The Joking Hall," a soft voice answered. It filled him with warmth but at the same time the screaming in his head changed pitch as though his mind was trying to tell him something.

"April," He coughed, "But we were just in the Warren… playing Hide N'… Seek…"

"I found you Bunny, remember?" she answered tenderly. He tried desperately to remember being found but the soft and bright images of his Warren were gone. The shrieking was at fortissimo now, and he could hear something alarming in it without being able to decipher what is was. When had she found him? What day was it? April First… 2013… Fear and adrenaline finally spread to his consciousness and he realized who he was with and where he was all at once. Immediately the comfort he had found in her voice and name gave way to panic and visions of being cornered, seeing her shadow stretched before him. He thrashed wildly, vision refusing to return any faster than bit by bit in each blink, but the struggling was pulling his muscles and joints. Ropes tied his feet together and his arms were out at his sides, roped to metal loops in the wall. The binding pulled his skin and fur as he tried so hard to get out. He heard her start to laugh and it only made his heart beat faster. His feet would not touch the ground; they were tied together onto a link that held them up and out, preventing him from thumping and opening a portal to his safe and peaceful Warren. Panic threatened to swallow him whole as he felt the concrete knotting of his ropes. His vision was coming back to him in place of energy and soon he gave up, realizing how at-her-mercy he was. After a few minutes, he turned his head to face her. She was dressed in her Jester outfit, a yellow and purple diamond pattern with a lace collar, belled shoes and a three-pointed belled hat. A purple half-mask covered the space around her eyes, and her eyes… Her eyes were so terribly bloodshot that Bunny had to wonder if she had slept even a wink since he saw her in the April of seventeen eighty seven. Her pupils were tiny, fitting well with her delusional smile. Jagged pieces of red hair poked out from under her hat. She balanced atop a large purple ball that was so full of air that it stayed perfectly round beneath her weight She had legs crossed and hands on one knee.

"Good to see you Bunny," She said with an ill smile.

"I can't agree," Bunnymund growled, almost wanting to wince and close his eyes from seeing her depreciated state. The uncomfortable feeling of seeing her insane face made him begin to pull on his ropes again.

"Don't struggle," she slid off of the ball, touching her toes gently to the ground and lowering her heels with perfect poise. "You'll pay for it." He considered listening but did not take stock in her threat (or perhaps it was that she was a nightmare he was desperate to escape from) and continued to pull. She stared at him and held her hands behind her back, delicately bending over before kicking the ball behind her hard with one foot. It flew across the room, into the wall opposite of Bunny, and came flying back over her bent body to slam into him, sending his head crashing into the concrete behind it. He yelled in pain, his tender head beginning to screech at him as blotches of color appeared over his field of vision. The ball bounced back to her and she moved it back to its position behind her with one delicate, gloved hand. "Oh Bunny," she sighed, smiling triumphantly.

"Whose game are you playing with me?" He hissed, chest heaving with panic, pain and fury. She really did have him completely at her disposal…

"That's _awfully_ nosy," her face crinkled in disgust with his 'nosiness'. "It's my game of course. Do you forget who I am?"

"No. You're the witch of April!" He took aim and spat, just barely missing her as she swung to the side. He felt the regret creeping deep into his flesh almost immediately as the shadows of her face darkened with deep fury, her eyes narrowed and all her features became tense and cold.

"You forget what month your holiday usually lands in," she hissed. "It's too bad Easter was before me this year." Suddenly she became innocent looking, eyes wide and almost full of sorrow. He was very much thrown off by the transition. One foot lifted and poised to kick the ball as her voice carried a pitiful sadness. "I wanted to ruin it…" She changed her visage again to a violent smirk. _Kick!_

. . .

"Why isn't he helping us?!" Jack thrust his staff towards the sky.

"Even the Man in the Moon is silent…" North despaired. The Guardians were gathered at the North Pole, seeking help from their guide, who sat in the window of North's roof without any sign.

"How could this be?" Tooth whimpered. Sandman turned to North with a question mark hanging above his head but the Russian could offer no answer.

"I thought the Man in the Moon was supposed to know everything," Jack growled, more to the moon than anyone. North waked towards the pillar upon which rested the book that held the Guardian's oath and the history of all holidays. The other three watched eagerly as he mumbled to himself and flipped through it.

"The Jester of April Fools' day," he read aloud. "previously April Lilium Bartolomea. Chosen for her great affection displayed through humor and passionate protection of all children and gifted with some of the strongest magic and physical abilities, April is believed one of the most trustworthy Holidays." Jack sneered

"That's all?" He asked with frustration.

"Yes." North closed the book. "All that's relevant, at least."

"So she's powerful enough to hide from the Man in the Moon?" Jack asked.

"Yes," Tooth sighed, looking deeply troubled. "It's what we all feared… It was discovered long before you became a Guardian, Jack. We forgot about it after a while… Forgot to always be weary of it."

"Our mistake," North growled. As they stood in despair, North's floor opened beneath the moonlight. Excitement and apprehension filled the room as a pillar rose from the floor. Atop it stood an ice sculpture of the Jester reaching out a hand to a horse of nightmares, undoubtedly Pitch's. It was well crafted with all the elements of tragic art; dreadful things, pain and most of all, no hope. North shook his head as a new dread snaked into their hearts, settling in the pits of their stomachs. "No... No, this cannot be…"

"Not again," a teardrop rolled down Tooth's face as Jack looked to the moon hopelessly. _Why?_


	3. Searching

**Note: Thanks everyone for the reviews, they're very encouraging and I appreciate them all!**

**WARNING: This chapter is a bit dark and violent towards the end.  
**

Jack Frost leaned against a wall in North's office, holding the large book of holidays in his hands. It had been opened to the same page, The Jester of April Fools' Day, for an hour and a half. He had memorized its contents and flipped back and forth and back but found nothing. Disappointment and hopelessness were threatening to flood his mind. He looked to the ice sculpture rising from the ground. It was, thankfully, unmelting, a permanent clue.

"Jack?" A tender voice caused him to raise is head. Tooth hovered there, smiling gently at him and holding a plate of cookies and a tall glass of milk. "I thought you would want something to eat since you've been up here for so long. I'm sorry North doesn't have any real food…"

"Thanks Tooth," he forced a smile. He was grateful, but too exasperated to feel excitement over anything other than discovering what he needed to know. Bunnymund was missing- and it was rare for a guardian to be in such danger by themselves. All of the guardians were working without any end… Tooth set the plate and glass next to him. He left the cookies but took long drinks from the glass of milk.

"We all hope you can find something Jack," Tooth said and Jack could see how hard she was trying to keep it together, but she was a strong fairy, and soon she covered up any sign of weakness. "If you need anything at all, holler for us. We're staying together until we find Bunnymund and punish April." Jack wondered if they would strip her of her powers. "And Jack?" He wiped away a milk mustache and looked up to her.

"Hm?"

"Make sure to brush and floss after you finish the cookies. They're very sugary…" she smiled sheepishly because she knew it was perhaps inappropriate but Jack only laughed.

"Thanks Tooth," he grinned. She nodded, giggling a little before flying back down the hall. Jack chuckled once more at his friends request before turning back to the ice sculpture and leaning his head against the wall. He watched it for a long time until the syrup of sleep began to weigh heavily down upon him. His eyelids felt heavy. He began to truly lose himself to sleep when the small Nightmare Horse and Jester ice figurines began to move. Frost lifted his head off the wall and squinted, unable to tell if he was awake. Sure enough, they were animated and alive, perhaps even more than he was at that moment. He set North's book down and stood, walking to observe it. The Jester was crouched and backing away from the horse whose mane was waving with lifelike fluidity. April seemed to be on the defensive, trying to back away slowly with a weary expression but she soon walked to the edge of the platform, looking behind her with fear as her foot slipped a little. When she turned back she tried to dodge around the horse but it cornered her at every end, coming closer and closer. For a moment Jack watched as The Jester began to shrink down with an expression of bewilderment. Finally it reared, kicking its hooves in the air. Jack's eyes widened and he backed away as The Jester sculpture screamed, putting her arms over her head as the horse brought its weight down upon her.

Jack snapped awake. The book still lay in his lap, the cookies at his side, and the statue still- it had all been a dream. "What does it mean?" he whispered, staring at the ice sculpture that glittered in the moonlight.

. . .

Bunnymund hung on the wall, almost feeling as though he were being crucified. He was going on his third day there with no food or water. The cut above his left hip was open and beginning to get infected. The only light in the room came from a single bulb in its center and he thought his lack of sleep might kill him. He'd never been in this situation before- it scared him. It was then that he began to hear the jingle of bells and looked up. Soon the bells on her feet stepped into the light but stopped, and her shoes were all he could see.

"Ready to be good, Bunny?" She giggled. He sneered and pulled on his ropes to go at her, just as defiant as before. But when she stepped into the light, looking refreshed and not half as horrid as the last time he had seen her, she held a large plate that was piled with all kinds of vegetables and a huge glass of water. Immediately he began to feel his hunger overwhelm him, but more-so his thirst. He was definitely dehydrated and it was corroding his will to rebel against her. She set both things down in the light before coming to him. He noticed that she hand a small, purple bag in her hand that was made of fabric. She opened it and poured a silvery powder out onto one palm. He looked at it for a moment, soon recognizing its glow. A bitter taste filled his mouth.

"April," he said, flattening to wall, "No, please… Please, anything but-"

"Oh hush Bunny," she giggled. "You're_ such_ a _whiner_!" With that she raised her hand to her lips and blew the dust at him. He held him breathe at first, eyes closed, but it burned his nose and slipped between his eyelids and he began to sneeze and cough and inhale the silvery cloud. April backed away a little as Bunnymund began to whimper in pain. His whispers soon turned into yells and then into screams. He had tried hard to contain it but that pain was unbearable in his state. His muscles were tense and rippling. His fur was retracting back into his body and his bones were growing, shrinking and shifting into new positions. While this happened, April untied his ropes and hurriedly put him into a pair of sweatpants before his entire body form changed. After minutes of agonizing pain, he lay on the floor, a human with long grey fur on the top of his arms and calves. "There," she smiled, hands on hips. "You're now weak enough to be out of those ropes." Her smile turned wicked. He was able push himself up partially but most of his strength came from his rabbit muscle. Though he appeared muscular in his anthro form, he wasn't- not comparatively anyways, and no match for April. His curly grey hair was wet with sweat and effort. He turned the bitterest of green eyes onto her but she was already cartwheeling away. She left him shut their, were the first thing he did was enjoy a comfortable position and try not to cry.

. . .

April looked up at the old black cages that hung from the ceiling. Most recently they had held Tooth's Baby Teeth. They were rusted and old and had certainly been there for a long time, and certainly had held something else before. April was able to see a vision of a child in one cage, screaming and crying and making Pitch grow stronger with his fear. She knew this is what they had been built for, and hadn't thought of the vision herself- Pitch's home was alive with nightmares and able to send visions to anyone inside its doors. Her bells echoed everywhere within the seemingly empty cavern and soon brought a familiar face forth.

"April," the dark voice said. "You're here."

"Pitch," she smiled, "You don't look like you're recovering well." Indeed, he was hunched into himself and thinner than he usually was. He glowered at her but contained himself.

"Do you have him then?"

"Bunny?" she giggled, rocking back and forth on her heels. "Of course!"

"Good, then we're on schedule," he answered. "And I'll be there for him within the next few days."

Something changed then. April's voice dropped almost an entire octave, back to its usually tone, and her body language ceased its giddiness. "You won't forget my end of the bargain?" She asked in seriousness.

"Of course not dear Jester," Pitch answered. "Even though I can't understand why you would want… Well, anyways, you have my word." Insanity engulfed the silence of her hesitation. It was a moment that Pitched watched her closely for before she began to rock on her heels again, bells jingling as she began to giggle and laugh to herself.

"We should do this more often!" She smiled, turning to leave.

"Don't worry, my dear," Pitch answered coldly. "We will."

April left, the cold of winter hitting her skin most literally. Hearing the yell of Jack Frost, she teleported immediately, Jack crashing down upon the space where she had been earlier.

"Show yourself, you coward!" He yelled. "It's just you and me! That's what you want, isn't it?"

_"No,"_ A voice answered from all sides of him. Suddenly her foot was crashing into his torso with incredible force. He was able to be quicker this time, smacking her away with his staff before tumbling into the snow. She hit the ground rolling, lessening her collision with the hard ground before standing quickly. "Jack Frost," she grinned, giggling to herself. "What a pleasant surprise! I'm sorry, but I must go."

"Oh no!" Jack yelled defiantly, standing and pointing his staff at her. "You're not going anywhere!" She only stared at him, head tilted. At first he held her gaze but soon her eyes began to intimidate him. He could hear her whispering in his head but was unable to decipher specific words. It grew louder and louder before suddenly she began to fill his head with images of her fighting him, of him being tied to a wall in a cross position, of her carving a jester hat onto his chest. He finally gained enough control to close his eyes, shaking his head and grabbing his hair with a yell. His skin burned. How was she able to manipulate his senses? _Gifted with some of the strongest magic,_ he thought to himself, opening his eyes to find that she was gone. He cursed and shook his head, unable to lose control of his anger lest she be hiding and waiting for him to stop paying attention. He rubbed his torso, unable to erase the image of her carving into his flesh from his mind. He had originally come to see if Pitch was already well again and had gotten his answer.


	4. The Witch

_It was the winter of 1685 and Bunnymund stood watching the eggs in his Warren walk about peacefully. Some toppled into rivers and others wandered and waited for the right time to dye themselves. He smiled at his work, vivid and bright colors illuminating his beautiful Warren, untouched by the plagues and cold of the winter outside. And yet, Bunny was frowning. Winter was a time for starvation and cold, the time of the boogieman._

_"Bunny," a gentle voice made his heart beat faster and he forgot the woes of winter. Arms wrapped around his waist tenderly and chin rested on his shoulder, making his hair rise in anticipation._

_"Hello love," he purred , touching his forehead gently to the cheek of the girl who was hugging him. She smiled, grey eyes sparkling._

_"I have something for you." He looked down at her hands which were held in front of his torso._

_"Another paper fish?" he laughed, taking the delicate papier-mâché' fish from her hands, but he could immediately see that it was different than all the others she had made for him. One half of it was grey with black accents and the other half was purple with yellow diamonds. It had been made with such precision that Bunnymund wondered how many she had attempted and thrown away before achieving such perfection. On the side that he supposed represented her was beautiful, black cursive writing that read "I love you, Bunny." As his eyes scrolled over the writing, he felt her arms slip away and heard her step back. He was surprised she didn't completely flee- April could never handle serious situations where there was no room for humor. He turned to see her standing and holding her own hands, her face portraying the anxiety she felt about handing her heart to him. They had been together for some time, but suddenly everything was different, his entire world changed. No longer did he feel the loneliness of his warren, but the warmth of someone else's heart. Bunnymund's ear flattened and a smile full of emotion came over his face. He reached forward, grabbing her around the shoulders and pulling her into him for an embrace._

_"I love you too, April," he whispered, feeling her begin to tremble and cry as she wrapped her arms around him._

Bunnymund stared with hollow green eyes at the floor that leached the heat from his feet. His hunger and thirst were quelled but his mind was a torrent. Each time he slept he could not keep his dreams of _her_ at bay. Remembering what they had each time he dreamed- reminiscing without choice- was perhaps the worst torture of his entire situation, for no amount of physical strength could keep his wounding emotions away. It had been over two hundred years- why was he remembering now, crying now? It didn't matter- the past could not be changed. He had to think in the present, find a way to save himself. Bunny heard bells and looked up, standing with haste to defend himself. He cursed himself for not paying attention when she stepped into the light so quickly.

"Hello Bunny," April approached with a calm face but she seemed a little sore on one leg and was covered in snow on her left side. A purple bag hung from a string around her waist.

"Jack," Bunnymund whispered, recognizing the signs of a brawl. He narrowed his eyes, "What did you do to Jack?!"

"Chill out Bunny," she answered tranquilly, "We sparred a little and I fled. Your friend holds no interest of mine." He charged her then, throwing one fist at her face. She caught it effortlessly and surprised him with her strength. His eyes widened then narrowed as he began to push his fist against her palm, gritting his teeth. No matter how hard he pushed his human fist towards her she kept it in place, slowly applying more pressure with her closed hand until he felt the bones of his hand begin to shift. Her own arm was trembling with effort. As Bunnymund began to feel the increased pressure, he tried to withdraw his attack, but she did not release him. He pulled and began to struggle to get his fist free from her grasp but she continued to crush it, and he could tell she was using magic to give her more strength- or perhaps her powder had not only turned him human but drained the strength from his very body, no matter the muscle. Just before the bones of his hand crumbled she released him, sending him stumbling back. Bunny held himself up against the wall, still feeling a bit unbalanced as a human. "Don't try anymore. It's no good," she shook her head,which jingled the bells on her hat and sent adrenaline through his veins. "Back up on the wall you go."_ Hell_ if he was going to comply.

"I won't let you hang me like a trophy," he hissed, dodging her as she lunged at him. He began to move rapidly, hoping to outrun her teleporting as adrenaline and fear blocked his sense, but he was still clumsy and slow in his human form. For a while she simply stood and let him have his fun- he did not notice her in his panic and continued to run about, which made her laugh.

"Okay, enough fun," she called and disappeared. She appeared wrapped around him tightly, teleporting both of them across the room and to the ropes. He struggled as she pushed him against the wall, tying his wrists as quickly as possible. His feet were more of a challenge. He thumped against the wall but was unable to open a portal. As she crouched to rope them together, he successfully landed a kick against her jaw, taking advantage of her momentary weakness after using his strength to catch his fist and tie his hands. She tumbled backwards, propping herself up on her elbows and rubbing her cheek with a grimace. He waited for fury to overtake her visage but nothing of the like happened- she simply bounced back up and tied his feet again- successfully this time.

"You really_ are_ a whiner," she chuckled, reaching for the bag at her waist then hesitating.

"Is that…" he paused, considering it while he studied her face. She was waiting for him to finish his sentence with no sign of knowing what he was about to ask. "Would that change me back?"

"Into a Bunny?" she asked. "Hm… She put the hand reaching for the bag on her hip and the other touched a pointer finger to her cheek. "Hm… Yes." She smiled, putting both hands on her hips. "Of course, now I'm not really sure if I want to change you back. You did kick me."

"Please April, change me back!" he hissed, pulling at the ropes around his limbs.

"Why?" She answered, standing on her tiptoes and leaning forward so that her chin rested on his bare chest. She looked up at him with terrifying grey eyes. "You're so cute as a human…" Bunny heard the sound of air transforming into an object as she pulled a knife from thin air, one of her many talents. It was curved and gleamed in the light. Slowly she placed it on its side against the skin of his left side. He could feel the cold blade move down his skin, which twitched beneath its chill. He did his best to stay still, and she kept the blunt end touching him until she reached the cut she had left above his hip days ago. Slowly he saw the light on the blade tremble and move as she rotated it slowly and cut the wound open fresh. He clenched his teeth, refusing to let any sound escape, though it burned and turned his insides over. A familiar giggle made him close his eyes. Bunnymund could feel the lunch she had prepared for him rising in his throat. April pushed the blunt end of the knife against him hard to push herself off of his chest and back onto her feet- this made him scream. Blackness began to engulf his vision. Warmth spilled over his hip and onto his sweats and he began to lose blood. She left him there, hanging and bleeding, not to come back for another two days.

. . .

The Guardians surrounded Jack, slamming him with waves of questions- well, North and Tooth asked anyway.

"So you saw her?!"

"What about Pitch? Did you see Pitch, Jack?"

"And are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, fine," Jack answered, rubbing his torso. "I told you everything already- April came from Pitch's lair, but no Pitch…" There was a moment of silence where Jack began to wind down and the other three Guardians exchanged glance.

"This is _bad_," North finally spoke. The Russian narrowed his eyes and looked at Jack. "The only reason April would be with Pitch would be to conspire with him."

"You don't really think he would?" Toothfairy's worry showed in her face. Jack could hear in her tone that she knew North was terribly right.

"Gifted with some of the most powerful magic and physical abilities…" Jack answered for him. "She'd make a great ally, and she was probably easy to convince, once he found her." Jack looked up. "What are we supposed to do?"

"We have several options," North answered, stroking his beard. "We can wait by Pitch's lair and attempt to catch her- probably bad idea. We can go to Pitch himself and confront him, but Pitch's lair is a frightening place of powerful illusions. Thirdly, we can continue what we're doing, and move on when we have time."

"What you said about Pitch's lair- what did you mean?" Frost narrowed his eyes. "I've been there before and I didn't feel any illusions."

"It's built purely from Nightmares," North answered. "If Pitch doesn't want you to, you'll never make it out."

**Note: I'm so sorry it's been an awfully dark past two chapters. Just push through it! There is a light... or is there?**


	5. Witch's Betrayal

**Note: You may have noticed the cover change- I drew it myself. Also thank you all for the reviews! Enjoy... **

Jack had wondered throughout the day whether or not he should've hidden his dream about the ice sculpture moving from the other Guardians. He felt it too late to say without it seemingly like he was being dishonest, but more importantly, he didn't want to give them any false ideas…. Frost sat in a small, quaint room with a nice quilt on the bed and not much other furniture. The room smelled nice and was right below Santa's office where April clung to the ceiling, so far undetected. Fear, true fear, was pulsing through her veins as she hung, spider-like. Hesitation almost caused her to falter as she dropped down, light and soundless on her toes. She had changed outfits for this to avoid the jingling of her shoes' bells. The silence in her movements was almost foreign to her ears. Upon the desk rested exactly what she'd come for- snow globes. Carefully, she reached forward and took one, leaving nothing after her theft but a wisp of smoke in her place.

. . .

The Warren wasn't quite how April remembered it. She could tell that Bunnymund's absence was worrying the eggs- the large, stone eggs especially. They wandered about frantically, and if they had possessed the expression, April guessed they would have looked rather frantic. It didn't matter now- she had to get moving. There had to be something useful in the Warren for Pitch, a way in or out besides snow globes or thumping. Bunnymund would likely never open his Warren for Pitch despite the penalties. Pitch would never be daring enough to steal from North's own office after being reduced to what he was (or so she had figured), and April wasn't sure if she'd have the nerve to go back either. After the last attack on Easter in the tunnels, security had been heightened- the tunnels were not accessible outside of Easter, and then they were packed with the Guardians and their various henchmen. It made April sick to think of them all banding together on each other's holidays- what weakness, having other people fight your battles. What waste. In a slip of common sense, she plunged forward without looking and slammed straight into a giant stone egg, knocking her back. April cursed, looking up with a sneer and preparing to fight, but the egg only turned its head into a smile. It was happy to see her... _why? Did Bunny not change security when I left?_ She thought to herself. _Of course not… We had a fight and I killed some kid but he must have known I'd never come for him on my own. Still… Whatever._ She got to her feet, giving a suspicious glance at the egg before dashing off once more.

The Warren was easy to navigate- she remembered most of it perfectly. At first she managed to keep a breakneck pace towards Bunny's private quarters, but the memories were beginning to swallow her. It became worst when she stopped at the river of egg dye and the memories slammed her.

_"I'm no bloke," April said defiantly, lifting her chin. "I'm a lady."_

_"Sure are," Bunnymund laughed, looking up at her and running a hand over the top of his head. "A real lovely one at that…"_

April cursed herself, shaking the memories away with creeping frustration and continuing on. None of that mattered now- it was too long ago… Bunnymund's den was at the end of a tunnel, a cozy room with a simple bed. Definitely rabbit-worthy sleeping quarters. Next to the bed was a wooden nightstand with a single drawer and a cabinet. April crouched next to it, yanking open the cabinet first. Empty. Useless, she scorned, straightening up and trying the drawer. Immediately the scorn fled her body. The pallor of her bewildered face was unmatched even by the beds sheets. It took a moment for her to register what she was seeing. "But… But that's…" she reached forward with the utmost tenderness, delicately picking up the item as her lips formed the soundless word_ 'impossible'_. The sound of her skin brushing paper made her heart flutter as she ran her fingers over the delicate fish shape. It was old, the paper thin and the colors smudged. The writing on the side was smeared in one direction as it someone had run there hand over it many times. She held the delicate paper fish gently in her palms, staring at the cursive confession of love she had written on one side hundreds of years ago._ I don't understand… why did he keep this?_ It was minutes before she moved at all, beginning to tremble as she felt the disgust and shame and longing come over her all at once. She remembered everything she had felt before, realizing she could not take back her betrayals and realizing how badly she wanted to. But there was no forgiveness for the things she had done, not even from the Man in the Moon. Tears spilled down her face as she crumbled to her knees and cried.

. . .

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier," Jack sighed. "I know that I should have, but I wasn't even sure if it had actually happened. Of course, they still don't look like how they did when I saw them move…."

"It's okay Jack," Toothfairy smiled softly and put a hand on his shoulder. "We understand your doubt."

"It has indeed moved though," North stared at the ice sculpture rising from the floor. The Nightmare horse figure remained the same. "Look at April's hands…"

"They're behind her," Jack confirmed. "What's she holding?"

"It looks like…" North shook his head as his fast scrunched in intense confusion. "I don't understand..."

. . .

"Beneath the Joking Hall," Bunnymund hissed to himself. When April had first brought him here, she had told him that he was beneath the Joking Hall. He had been in Joking Hall before- an extremely difficult place to navigate, like one of those warped houses at carnivals with mirror rooms and rooms that look big but are small, or vice versa. "Beneath… Son of a…" He shook his head, uselessly trying to squeeze a hand through the rope again. He had to admit that his human hands were easier to make small by bringing in his fingers than his rabbit hand had been. So far, he had planned how to get out of two of the possible rooms he could surface in already, but it had been hundreds of years since he'd been there, and his minds map had many holes. He heard soft pads of feet hitting concrete and looked up with narrowed eyes, still unwilling to break for his captor. But she walked in looking like the broken one. April's eyes were downcast and she wore an expression of agony. She was not in her costume but a black tank top and simple pants. Her hair was down, flowing in waves down to her hips. In one hand she awkwardly carried a chair. In the other she held a basket with many things- a needle was the first thing Bunnymund noticed. "What the hell are you-"

"Sh."

"-doing?"

"Be quiet for now, please. I'm going to give you some pain killers and dress that cut before it gets an infection." He narrowed his eyes, unsure if he wanted to defy her and risk losing the opportunity or do so to avoid the possibly of being experimented upon. When she sat on the chair he could see the contents of her basket more clearly and realized that she was not lying to him. The shot hurt when she plunged it into his wound, but it took affect almost instantly. When the pain and burning suddenly fled he stopped thinking at all about questioning- he would accept this much from her. If it did become infected, it could kill him, or do permanent damage. She also possessed extreme precision in stitching. He considered asking about her sudden change but then thought of her mood swings and once again held himself back. When she finished stitching, she wrapped his waist in gauze with delicate, cold fingers, all the while refusing to meet his eyes. Bunny was perturbed- what the hell was with her? She gathered her things up again. "Excuse me," she said, staring at the ground, "I must go prepare." She turned and Bunnymund couldn't stand it anymore. Being unaware was difficult for him, especially with his life hanging in the balance. He was a Guardian- usually everyone kept him well informed, and he was well prepared.

"Prepare for what?"

"Pitch."

"What?" Bunny yelled after her as she disappeared into the black. He twisted and writhed in his restraints. "April!_ April!_" He looked around frantically, realizing he couldn't wait anymore- the Guardians weren't coming, presumably because they couldn't find him. Now was the time that he had to escape.

. . .

The Guardians stood at the hole that plunged down to Pitch's lair.

"My, he made a fast recovery, didn't he?" North hissed.

"Look," Jack pointed to the hoof prints in the snow. "Those weren't here two days ago- Pitch must be riding one to April's."

"He's on the move," Tooth fairy narrowed her eyes. They flicked back and forth over the tracks. "That means he's already on his way and we're behind."

"Well we've got his track right here," North answered. "It's only prints so we can't take the sleigh if we want to see them, but it'll have to do."

"Come on!" Jack took off, the wind soon sweeping him up and he rode upon it. Tooth fairy nodded, determination and fire overwhelming her face as she flew after him.

"Let's go," North hissed, drawing his blades and hopping on a cloud with Sandy as they pursued the man of nightmares.

. . .

April returned in less than an hour, the insanity back in her face.

"April, you can stop this," Bunnymund began immediately. Blood ran from his wrists were the skin had been harshly ripped away by struggling so terribly in the ropes. Even with all of his strength, he had been powerless again. "You're bigger than Pitch, just-"

"Hush Bunny," she said, her old voice returning and gentle determination surfacing again as she created the large ball he'd seen when he'd first arrived. She hopped atop it and perched there, her back to Bunnymund. "Trust your larikin."

"My… what?" He whispered, bewildered but remembering her reference. She turned her face towards him just enough for him to see a hint of a smile, but her eyes were shadowed by her purple half-mask. She turned forward again as a chill and darkness swept the room.

"April," a cold voice the color of a starless sky rang out. "Looking lovely as always." Bunnymund saw the hair on the back of April's neck rise. _What the hell is going on? _He thought, wishing that he could see their expressions.

"You look much stronger than you did a few days ago Pitch," April answered, sounding normal, though Bunnymund could hear the caution in her voice.

"I'm making a fast and powerful recovery. There is always fear in the world to feed me," he answered. The sound of swirling sand began. "I trust you have our hare in custody?"

"Yes," April answered. Bunnymund felt the anxiety and tension creep into him. He watched as April reached behind her. She slowly glided a flat palm through the air and Bunnymund watched as glinting metal formed beneath her hand. It was curved and long. When she stopped moving her hand, a katana had formed, with a purple and yellow diamond handle.

"Creating swords? Impressive," Pitch mentioned. "But… what is it needed for?"

Suddenly the room got a bit darker as April crouched, holding her Katana out to her side. Cold words began to flow from her maw. "I had hundreds of years to hone my magic, Pitch. Hundreds of years to learn how to transport and pull objects from magic. It's much easier than turning sadness into happiness with humor, which had been my job. The Man in the Moon had intended for me to form trinkets with my magic- tacks to sit on, Jack-in-the-boxes, whoopee cushions- but it's creating things from magic all the same. No one stopped me from learning how to create destruction or stopped my paranoia with my holiday failing or crushed my sadness of being so... frowned upon. No one liked my pranks nor my holiday, which was most often ignored and disregarded… I was lonely. I was always alone."

"I hate to rush," Pitch growled, "But the point, dear April?"

Bunnymund watched April lift her head, confusion, anxiety and a flutter of hopeful excitement beginning to break through his usual calm patience. "In Sixteen Thirty Two, Man in the Moon introduced me to E. Aster Bunnymund. I wasn't alone anymore. He showed me companionship, he made me feel… loved. The Man in the Moon and Bunnymund… they trusted me. I can't atone for what I've done. I can't break past the… trauma… I'm crazy, really, I know. Perhaps it was only for a short time, but one person made me love my holiday, one person made me love myself." There was a pause as Pitch's face turned sour while April grinned, her blade catching the light. "And so, Pitch, I've decided not to give him to you."


End file.
